By Kimberly Cessar, Rookie Reporter
All gathered together in the cool, crisp, and nose-pinching fall air, the homeless wait for their heart-warming holiday meals to fill them up.
A survey taken this last January found that 11,167 people were homeless in Denver, so finding volunteers this upcoming season is a must.
There is one homeless individual that is a friend of psychology teacher, Stephanie Rossi. They went to high school together and he was one of the “star football players” she says. She’s not entirely sure how he became homeless, but he shows up at her door step every once in a while for a meal, and he shares his experiences on the road with her and her husband.
Upon walking downtown on the 16th Street mall, there are at least forty to fifty homeless people asking for spare change or holding up signs that say things like, “Anything helps.” Most people walking down the street don’t think these homeless people are truly homeless. They may be kids just trying to get some money to help out their family or help them survive on their own. From The Gathering Place website, “one in four homeless individuals is a child.”
Another large percentage of homeless people are mentally disabled and can’t afford or don’t know how to get help. In an article in The Denver Post by John Parvensky, he says, “Many homeless individuals have unique challenges in achieving long-term recovery. With histories of significant trauma, chronic substance use and mental illness, these individuals typically lack the capacity to access the limited existing available services.” Offering donations and volunteering to help down town with the homeless is always open and needed.
To get involved you can contact the Denver Rescue Mission at 720-201-2776 or 720-333-3071 to donate a frozen 12 lb. or larger turkey, donate $15.00 to $20.00 towards a turkey, or just let people know about the donation. Another way to get involved is through the Jeffco Action Center by volunteering on Nov. 24 to donate food for Thanksgiving or toys from Dec. 4 to Dec. 9 for the Santa Shop. To volunteer for either event you can email Nira Duvan at [email protected] or call her at 303.237.7704 ext. 229.
